J&K State Haj Committee Penalized

District Consumer Protection Forum, Srinagar has directed J&K Haj Committee to pay Rs 20,000 to a complainant for resorting to unfair trade practice. The order came after the forum presided over by Muhammad Ashraf Malik, PD&SJ, examined the evidence, and found the committee “guilty of unfair trade practice.”

The forum also directed the committee to pay Rs 6000 to the aggrieved as litigation charges.

In 2012, complainant Zooni Banu in her complaint before the forum had stated that she had applied for Hajj with the opposite parties (Hajj Committee) and deposited an advance sum of Rs 10,700.

The application form of the complainant was rejected on the ground of non-availability of Sharie Mehram to her. It was alleged that thereafter, the complainant approached the OP seeking refund of the advance amount. But, in spite of repeated requests, the OPs were heedless.

“. . . (h)aving been subjected to severe mental pain and agony, the complainant was forced to institute this complaint both for deficiency of service as also the unfair trade practice resorted to by the OPs,”the forum said.

The forum directed the committee to pay compensation of Rs 20,000 to the complainant party for adopting unfair trade practice and to pay litigation charges at Rs 6,000.